Democracy As Objective, Subject and Practice of Historical and Political Education in Schools ______
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Democracy as objective, subject and practice of historical and political education in schools _________________________________________________________________ (Resolution adopted by the KMK on 6 March 2009, as amended on 11 October 2018) 1. Preliminary remark The development of Germany into a free, democratic and unified social legal state is of great importance in our history. In Articles 1 to 19 of its Basic Law, Germany has committed itself to fundamental rights; in Art. 20 to democracy as its form of government, and in Art. 21 (2) and Art 79 (3) to safeguard its democracy. This would not have been possible without the Frankfurt Parliament in 1848/49 and the liberation movement preceding it, the Weimar Constitution of 1919, the free and democratic basic order recorded in the Basic Law in 1949 after the liberation from the tyranny of the Nazis, and the peaceful revolution in the GDR in 1989. To this must be added Germany’s active role in the European Union, the Council of Europe and the global community of the United Nations. In this context, Germany also signed conventions and made statements relating to human rights and, explicitly, to the rights of children, gender equality and inclusion. The 20th century was the backdrop for spreading democracy and constitutionality in many countries and states, but also for unprecedented crimes against humanity and democracy. We know this: A constitutional democracy cannot be taken for granted. Again and again, it must be learnt, fought for, lived and defended. Democracy needs staunch, committed democrats. A constitutional democracy must face the complexity of this world: • It is fundamentally important to understand that it is not enough to invoke the will of a majority in order to legitimise democracy as a form of government. A commitment to human rights and human dignity, a separation of powers and a protection of minorities, as well as to the processes of a constitutional state is essential, even if these may at times appear long-winded and cumbersome. • Exclusionary, inhuman and antidemocratic positions are a special challenge for schools. In addition, all revisionism of history must be counteracted, and simplified views of society must be actively exposed. • The special tasks of schools also include strengthening social cohesion, the participation of all members of, and cooperation between different ethnicities and cultures, especially in an era of migration and other global interdependencies. This comprises encouraging an enlightened, conscious and sensitive treatment of diversity, standing up for partnership and solidarity in Europe and across the world, and promoting empathy, respect, regard and tolerance. Schools can, and should, be places where democracy is reflected and lived as a dynamic, constant organisational style – including in situations in which different democratic rights are at odds. One basic condition for ensuring the success of historical and political education in schools is to discuss diversity and ambiguity tolerance. 2 Digitization is a driver of social development, a connecting link and an opportunity for participation. However, it can also result in a restriction of privacy and self- determination, and of a free and democratic development through fake news, hate speech or social bots. As a result, digitization must go hand in hand with promoting critical media competence. This special responsibility of schools is due to the fact that they are the only social institution in which it is possible to reach all children and adolescents. Therefore, schools carry a high level of responsibility as places where democratic knowledge is transferred and at the same time democracy can be experienced. Schools must be places where democratic and human rights values and standards are lived and learnt, and where examples are set. Therefore, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs has decided to update its recommendations on democracy and human rights, and to put them in context of further resolutions relating to historical and political education. 2. Objectives and general principles Children and adolescents need a value system which can guide them. Schools are responsible for conveying a value system which corresponds to free and democratic fundamental and human rights. The fundamental rights in the Basic Law are not only defensive rights of citizens against state despotism. According to the jurisprudence of the German Federal Constitutional Court, the provisions of the Basic Law also embody an objective system of values. The most important such value in the Basic Law is human dignity. All humans are entitled to it by virtue of their humanity, and it is inviolable. This means that schools are also not a value-neutral location. Pedagogical actions in schools are based on democratic values and attitudes which are deduced from the fundamental rights of the Basic Law and from human rights. The non-negotiable core of the free and democratic system of values is – particularly in light of the crimes against humanity committed by the Nazis and their consequences – made up of the inviolability of human dignity, observance of human rights, including children’s rights, the right to a free development of the individual, freedom of faith and conscience, equality of all people before the law and in all social institutions, independent of their sex, origin, religion, disability or sexual orientation, the implementation of general, free, equal and secret elections with an active and passive right to vote given to all citizens, protection of minorities, freedom of opinion and freedom of the press, an independent judiciary, separation of powers and political pluralism, interaction between the government and the opposition, state monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force, in sum: the democratic constitutional state governed by rule of law with the principle of a separation of powers. 3 The free and democratic state is reliant on conditions which it cannot guarantee by itself as a state. It is dependent on citizens voluntarily acting democratically based on their own convictions. The key competences of historical and political judgement and democratic action and ability to act must be developed and practised. This must become part of everyday school life in a variety of ways. The aim of schools must therefore be to convey the required knowledge, promote values and participation, and to encourage and empower to take responsibility and show commitment in state and society. It is the responsibility of schools to organise the respective learning opportunities in curricular and extracurricular situations to try out actions and meet challenges. Active democracy must become a basic quality feature of our schools. In this context, a democratic development of schools and teaching becomes a cross-sectional task. Where schools are places of active democracy, dignity is treated as a core value, tolerance and respect towards other people and opinions can be practised, civil courage is strengthened, democratic processes and rules are observed, and conflicts are resolved without violence. That's where young people learn how to deal with controversies, contrasts and risks, with imperfections, incomplete and provisional knowledge and judgements. Conveying resilient knowledge and skills includes the ability to question oneself and others, and to reflect on language and communication to reveal explicit and implicit statements. Ultimately, practice in the diverse types of democratic debate and democratic actions also provides the skill to change perspective, to perceive and understand the positions of minorities, and to handle conflicts without violence. A central principle of democratic learning is the application of the Beutelsbach Consensus at schools. It contains not just a prohibition against overwhelming the students, and the requirement to give weight to the personal interests of students, but also the requirement to treat controversial subjects as such: “Any subject that is controversial in science and politics must also be treated as controversial in lessons.” This requirement is closely linked to the need for democratic learning, because in order to avoid indoctrination, we must not fail to mention different standpoints, must not ignore options, nor fail to discuss alternatives. Therefore, the requirement to treat controversial subjects as controversial is intertwined with the prohibition against overwhelming the students. Both imperatives point to the duty to show, and allow, different perspectives of a topic. This means that conflicting or contentious positions must be included. It does not mean that every position must be accepted, or that all positions apply equally. If, during a discussion, students express attitudes which cannot be 4 reconciled with a free, democratic system of values and with human rights, teachers must ensure that such attitudes are subjected to comments and reflection. If schools deal with controversial topics, teachers have the demanding task to examine the subject from multiple perspectives, to moderate, if necessary, to steer discussions in a different direction, and to pinpoint any boundaries that may have been crossed. Therefore, the implementation of the Beutelsbach Consensus is subject to a clear commitment to fundamental rights and a corresponding self-confidence on the part of the teachers. Learning democracy includes the skill to comprehend, understand and reflect on another’s position. However, respecting the freedom